


Divorced in an Elevator

by justhuman



Category: NCIS
Genre: Episode: s01s01 Yankee White, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-03-25
Updated: 2009-03-25
Packaged: 2017-10-10 21:34:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/104545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justhuman/pseuds/justhuman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gibbs and Fornell officially meet. - Just trying to clear up some canon retconning and hinky-ness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Divorced in an Elevator

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Entry tags:**

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[ficathon](http://justhuman.livejournal.com/tag/ficathon), [my_ncis_fic](http://justhuman.livejournal.com/tag/my_ncis_fic)  
  
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**Divorced in an Elevator**

"Joint investigation," Tobias said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

The Director leaned over his desk slightly and pointedly responded, "They have the body." He carefully laid his fountain pen across the top of his writing paid.

Tobias debated blowing his stack, not for the Director's dig, but at his own frustration over having been fooled. "Do I at least get to know which one of the Navy pirates shanghaied our body? The ME was called Ducky, and playing the part of the dead body was some smartass named DiNozzo. Who was the ringleader?"

"According to Director Morrow, Special Agent Gibbs." The director shifted a paper and squinted. "Special Agent Leroy-

"Jethro Gibbs," Tobias finished as he pressed the palm of his hand against his forehead.

"Fornell, if you know him, why didn't you recognize him on the plane?"

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Tobias took a breath. "Oh, I've never met the man in person, but I know plenty about him."

The director was watching him, obviously waiting for further explanation. Some junior agent would have fumbled over himself to do just that. Tobias wasn't a wet-behind the ears kid.

"If that's all, Director, I'll plan on heading to the Navy Yard first thing in the morning."

***

Tobias cleared security and was putting away his badge when he spotted Gibbs coming in behind him, holding a coffee.

"I'll take Agent Fornell upstairs," Gibbs said to the guard and then turned to Tobias. "We weren't formally introduced yesterday-"

"No, Agent Gibbs, we weren't. But rest assured that once I found out who you were, everything in Wichita seemed to have some context."

Gibbs, took a sip of his coffee and started walking. Tobias followed, but didn't rush to catch up, making Gibbs hold the elevator doors for him. They both faced front as the doors closed.

The clothes that Gibbs was wearing were the same ones that he had been wearing on Air Force One the day before. "NCIS doesn't pay enough for you to have more than one clean shirt?" It was petty, but Gibbs had stolen a god-damned, dead body from him.

Gibbs gave a grunt that was almost a laugh. "If I'm short on cash, I suspect you know the reason isn't NCIS." Looking Tobias up and down, he asked, "How is Diane, anyway?"

"Fine when I saw her last week," Tobias responded, resisting the urge to return the scrutiny.

"Last week? Huh, separate living arrangements - never thought of trying that."

"Sure you did; I followed your lead to divorce court."

Gibbs shook his head and hit the elevator switch.

Tobias followed Gibbs' finger up his arm and to his face. With a shrug, Gibbs took another drink of his coffee. "We've got a bull pen; this is where I discuss sensitive matters."

"Ah." Tobias nodded. "And Diane has a way of making a person-" he waved his hand and frowned, trying to find the right word without giving away too much.

"Homicidal?"

Tobias looked him straight in the eye and saw that Gibbs was a little too serious with that remark. "I was going to go with something more like, 'pissed off.'"

"Well, every marriage is different."

"As much as I'm glad to be divorced from her, I have to say that she got one thing right. You're a completely obsessive, pain-in-the-ass that won't stop at anything to get what you want." Somehow getting that off his chest, made Tobias feel like he was on a more even keel.

Gibbs took a step closer. "Maybe, I am, but I can't be not all that bad - I warned *you*. Not my fault that you were too think-headed to listen!"

"Warned me!" Tobias was instantly up in Gibbs' grill - so much for feeling better. He could take a lot of crap and brush it off, but he was all ready to stare this bastard down. "Some raving lunatic, claiming to be Diane's ex, called me at 3am and insisted that I was entering into a contract with the anti-Christ."

"Don't be melodramatic. I said you were marrying the devil."

"Did you hear what you just said? And I'm the one being melodramatic?"

"I gave you details. I was right, wasn't I?" Gibbs was pointing a finger, but stopped short of actually poking Tobias in the chest.

"You know, last week there was a guy on the street, standing on an old milk crate. He was screaming about the end of the world at the top of his lungs. I was more likely to start preparing for Armageddon than I was to listen to you."

"From what I remember about being married to Diane, it's pretty much the same thing." Gibbs let out a breath and stepped to the back of the elevator, slapping a hand against the wall. "Gonna see her again soon?"

"Every other Friday, why?"

"I was just thinking you could throw some holy water on her and see if she melts. You know, just to test my theory."

Tobias shook his head and faced front again, searching for implacable FBI agent within.

"If you're fortunate enough to be free of her, why do you see her every other week?" Gibbs asked and then came forward to hit the elevator switch.

A small smile came unbidden to Tobias' mouth. He pulled out his wallet and flipped it open. No need to dig any further, she was right on top. He handed the photo to Gibbs.

"As much as I'm glad to be away from Diane, it wasn't all bad. This is my Emily; she's three." Glancing down, he saw the next picture of himself holding her above his head to Emily's laughing delight.

When Tobias looked at Gibbs, all the tough guy seemed to have melted out of the man's face, and it had been replaced by something haunted. Tobias knew that Gibbs didn't have any children, at least not from his first or second marriages.

"Does she like horses?" Gibbs asked, as he handed back the photo. "Most little girls do."

Tobias focused on Emily's smiling face as he tucked the picture back into his wallet, but he wondered if it was a sister or a maybe niece that Gibbs had lost. "She loves carousel horses and horsie rides on my knee."

The impassive mask was back when glanced at Gibbs, who was staring at his coffee. The elevator stopped moving, and the doors split open. Gibbs walked out first, which gave Tobias time to remember that he was supposed to pissed off at this guy.

~end~

  


 

_ **Fic: Divorced in an Elevator - NCIS** _

 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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**Author's Note:**

> A/N - Written for Session 1, Round 1 of [](http://community.livejournal.com/ncis_lfws/profile)[**ncis_lfws**](http://community.livejournal.com/ncis_lfws/). This story won the [Mod's Choice Award](http://community.livejournal.com/ncis_lfws/6227.html) for the round. The prompts were NCIS's first episode, _Yankee White_ and FBI Agent Tobias Fornell.
> 
> [   
> ](http://pics.livejournal.com/justhuman/pic/00gzx5fg/)


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